LOCATION DETAILS: Just a few miles west of Benton I-30 splits with I-70. The house is just about a mile from the junction on the right hand side of the road.

NEAREST TOWN: Benton

NEAREST ROAD: Hwy 70

OBSERVED: My uncle and I, who is only 2 years older than me, were playing on the hay bales that his neighbor always stored in the field between their houses in the sprign before gardening time. Each house stands on a hill with a larger hill behind them. The whole area was one huge field with a few trees here and there untill you got to the top of the big hill in back. That is where the forest begins. I was looking at the trees while my uncle was getting something when I noticed a large bipedal figure leaning against one of the trees. My first impression was that it was a bear untill I noticed that the arm it was leaning against the tree with was straight out at a 90 degree angle to the body. After a few more seconds of looking I realized it was roughly human shape but very large. It was so far away I couldnt say how big exactly but having seen a truck on the hill before it had to be at least 7 feet tall. I observed it for several minutes before my unlce returned. I pointed it out to him and we watched it together for several more minutes. We finally became too frightened to stay and run to the house to tell his dad.(my step grandfather) He didnt believe us untill the family realised we were scared stiff. He got a pair of binoculars and went out behind the house to look but the creature had left. It occured to me later that the creature had been watching us play for an indeterminate time before I noticed it.

ALSO NOTICED: Other family members have heard strange screaming sounds in the area and have had an ominous sense of being watched.

OTHER WITNESSES: 2 My uncle and myself. We had been playing there for hours before we noticed anything.

OTHER STORIES: In the early 80's there were sightings of a tall furred biped in the outskirts of Benton around Depot Creek. It was seen standing at one persons fence in their back yard harassing their dogs. I am not sure of the exact year but think it was 83 or 84. The creature was seen over 3 or 4 nights then seems to have moved on.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was a sunny late afternoon day around 5 or 6pm. the sun was low in the western sky but it was still bright for an early spring day.

ENVIRONMENT: The area is a large cleared field with forrest all around. The area is also very hilly and sparsely populated north of the highway.